Blogs

Man, what a great day in Santa Cruz! Sunny, in the 70's, lots of people out enjoying the day.

 Stopped by the Swift Street Courtyard. Had a pint of brown ale at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewers. Tried a taste of the Ginger warmer and , for me, it is a little to sharp and spicey, but still a good version of this kind of beer. Walked around the corner to the the new Vine Hill Vineyards tasting room. Great people behind the counter; very informative. Currently, their wines are made from grapes they did not grow, but still good. Next year's vintage will be their own. Walked down to El Salchichero and bought a variety of sausages. They are always good.

 Stopped by New Leaf on the way home and bought a bottle of Odonata's Saison Ale. They are a local outfit known more for their wine, (they do wine tasting on some Saturdays at Swift Street Courtyard, too), but they do a good job with beer, too.

If you have ever listened to the director's commentary track on a DVD, you may find the following entertaining:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1BD02E31E494DA90&feature=plcp

These two guys took home movies of when they were kids and added a commentary track that commented on the "actors choices", the motives of their mom, who was operating the camera, etc. I thought it was humorous, especially the way it mimicked the same kind of commentary on real movies.

 Netflix Recommendations: OK, this is probably only interesting to someone who was a teenager or younger in the 1960s, like me. So, anyone left reading this, or did I chase you all away? Try "The T.A.M.I. Show" (physical DVD only). It is black and white, (I lost the rest of you, right?), but it was filmed by some sort of experimental high definition television cameras, so the picture is sharp. It brings back the simple excitement of being a teenager at a live rock and roll show in those days. I believe the crowd was local Santa Monica high school students and they got to see a line up of acts that includes: Chuck Berry, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Beach Boys, James Brown (an amazing performance!) and the Rolling Stones. Live. No lip-synching. Small auditorium. Wow. The commentary track is very good. Did you know that Terry Garr was one of the background dancers?

If that isn't your style, try some of these streaming picks: "How Beer Saved the World". A part tongue-in-check, part serious look at how beer was the reason all of the major milestones of civilization occurred. Agriculture? To grow barley for beer. The pyramids? Those who built it were paid in beer. Pasteurization? Beer, not milk. Etc., etc.